★★★★

“Director George Turvey keeps the play dynamic and ever surprising”

Hannah Doran’s feisty new play The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights beat 1,588 competitors to win Papatango’s 2024 New Writing Prize and you can see why. A love story, workplace rivalries, second chances, deceit and high stakes (if you’ll indulge the pun) are all coursing through the cutting room of a family-run butcher shop.

Two apprentice butchers find themselves in competition for a promotion, and as their cut test is fast approaching, they enlist the help of their colleagues to win at any price. With raw meat and sharp knives on stainless-steel counters, and the thrum of salsa music in the background, the butchery is a pressure cooker as America’s structural violence swirls outside. Impossible health care costs, corporate takeovers driving out small business owners, and anti-immigration policies all become intensely personal as each of Doran’s finely drawn characters tries to survive.

From the moment the actors enter dancing and teasing one another to sound designer Asaf Zohar’s compelling soundtrack, the acting is uniformly strong. As Billy, Ash Hunter is jaded and vulnerable in equal measure. Mithra Malek, as the vegetarian T, is grounded and never pushes – so her rush of rage toward the end feels earned and raw. Jackie Clune’s Paula is incredibly believable, her no-nonsense warmth and urgency giving pace and push to the rest. And Marcello Cruz plays the fresh-faced naïve “Dreamer” with just enough playfulness and sincerity that you can’t help but fall in love. Dialect coach Caitlin Stegemoller ensures their Brooklyn accents are all pitch perfect.

Director George Turvey keeps the play dynamic and ever surprising, leaving us with a powerful and unsettling image that begs the question – who and what is really being butchered here? Mona Camille’s set design and Bethany Gupwell’s lighting not only evoke a butcher shop’s back room, contained with its curtains of translucent strips of plastic, but the well-calibrated wing lighting constantly reminds us of the pulsing world off-stage as well – the front of the shop, the refrigerated backroom where the meat is kept, the rough streets beyond.

And this is the ultimate strength of Doran’s play – how it brings the damaged outside world into the personal lives of the characters, exploring the extent to which our individual choices make a difference in the face of broader inequities and bigotry. T’s somewhat sanctimonious speech in the last third of the play admonishing her cousin Billy’s tendency to blame the system for his mistakes is the only false note as it oversimplifies and undercuts what is otherwise a very sophisticated and complex exploration of America’s predicament. As ICE becomes a household name, as New York elects its new mayor, this is a play that is even more relevant and haunting today than it was when it was written last year.

THE CHOIR OF MAN

Arts Theatre

★★★★★

“this an ensemble piece at its finest, with a real sense of brotherhood amongst the whole cast”

The great British pub, previously everywhere, is now endangered – a ‘third space’ that’s slipping away. Enter ‘The Choir of Man’, a heartfelt, feel-good show where pints pour, voices soar, and everyone belongs – a new kind of safe space for theatre lovers and pub goers alike.

Walking through the doors of the Arts Theatre, we’re transported to ‘The Jungle’ – at first glance a typical local with typical personalities including a Barman, Hard Man and Handyman. But scratch the surface and it’s anything but, with a Poet, Romantic, Maestro and others turning beer-soaked bravado into a brotherhood of connection and creative outlet. There’s no narrative, with rhyming monologues linked by song, dance and live instrumentals exploring themes such as friendship and home. It’s rich in feeling, each man finding their voice before ending with a gut punch reveal and a raw folk farewell.

As a woman and a feminist, I was sceptical of seeing a show about men in a pub – I couldn’t have been more wrong. Created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay with monologues by Ben Norris, ‘The Choir of Man’ is full of tenderness and truth, reclaiming a traditionally hyper-masculine space as somewhere men can express themselves. It’s romanticised, the poetic monologues and feel-good vibes giving it a dreamlike glow; but my soul feels lighter for witnessing a bunch of blokes holding space for each other. It’s carefully constructed to add depth, such as the Romantic pouring his heart out to Adele’s ‘Hello’ while the lads slow-mo through some football highs and lows. A deeper thread is also woven in, ending with a poignant reminder of the importance of looking out for each other.

Nic Doodson’s direction blurs drama and daily life. The stage becomes a pub for audience and cast alike. The cast roams about, checking in and making you feel at home. Multiple numbers involve audience participation, including inviting people on stage and even offering extra drinks and crisps to keep us going. It’s exactly the kind of warm camaraderie one craves from a third space, and a complete breath of fresh air from a West End show.

‘The Choir of Man’ is a folk-pop-rock jukebox musical offering something for everyone, from ‘Chandelier’, to ‘Under the Bridge’ and even a cheeky rendition of ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’. Though the real strength is Jack Blume’s marvellous orchestrations and arrangements, with interesting interpretations, complex harmonies, and modern mashups to surprise and satisfy the musically inclined.

Oli Townsend’s set design doesn’t just suggest a pub – it is one, complete with bar taps and beer mats. Verity Sadler’s costume design balances cohesion and character. Freddie Huddleston’s choreography beautifully contrasts moments of unity and disconnection. Richard Dinnen’s lighting design is joyful, full of vibrant colour and synced perfectly to the music. Sten Severson’s sound design brings out the multiple part harmonies, though the voices get a little lost during the tap dancing and pint glass clashing.

The newly assembled cast is electric, closing out the West End run before embarking on a UK tour. Paul McArthur’s Poet breathes life and love into each monologue, each song aching with feeling. Jason Brock is a passionate Romantic, with beautiful tenor and falsetto ranges that soar skyward. Ben Goffe’s Handyman proves a master of all trades, with expert singing, trumpet playing and fantastically fast, crisp tap footwork that’s rare outside a dance show. Though this an ensemble piece at its finest, with a real sense of brotherhood amongst the whole cast – if your gaze drifts, it’s always greeted with exchanges that radiate trust. The onstage band also deserves a mention for their firepower and finesse.

‘The Choir of Man’ is harmonious in every sense, creating a place of trust and love that everyone should experience. Catch it on the West End and then again on tour – you’ll come away feeling refreshed and hopeful.

THE MEAT KINGS! (INC.) OF BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

Park Theatre

★★★★

“Director George Turvey keeps the play dynamic and ever surprising”

THE MEAT KINGS! (INC.) OF BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

Park Theatre

Reviewed on 4th November 2025

by Samantha Karr

Photography by Mark Douet

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE MEAT KINGS

THE MEAT KINGS

THE MEAT KINGS

THE CHOIR OF MAN

Arts Theatre

★★★★★

“this an ensemble piece at its finest, with a real sense of brotherhood amongst the whole cast”

THE CHOIR OF MAN

Arts Theatre

Reviewed on 7th October 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Mark Douet

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE CHOIR OF MAN

THE CHOIR OF MAN

THE CHOIR OF MAN

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